John Love is perhaps best known for his efforts in achieving the return of the sea eagle to Scotland, on the Island of Rum, in 1975. He has also published various books and articles on the history and natural history of the Hebrides, including Rum and St Kilda. In this audio extract from 1983, Bill Sinclair talks to John about his recently-published book, 'The Isle of Rum: A Short History'.

There hasn't been a lot published on Rum, really. Various authors have referred to the island or included chapters on the island when they're discussing the Hebrides, but the most thorough book, perhaps to date, has been one about six Inner Hebrides dealing with the four small isles together with Coll & Tiree, but it's a bit fragmentary because it covers such a wide scope and doesn't delve into the Rum side of it too deeply.

Interviewer: How long have you been on the island yourself now?

Since 1975 - that's what, eight years now, so you begin to accumulate quite a bit of information on the side, really.

Interviewer: How do you start off describing different things?

Well, I think it's useful to go into the documentary sources and just find out what past travellers have said about the island, and copy down accounts that they give of various aspects of its history and the like, and begin to assemble the full story on that. But because my job takes me out on the hills quite a lot, it's quite convenient for me to go round the various ruins and old settlements and shielings, and jot them down on a map and make odd notes on them.

Interviewer: That must be most interesting. Have you found things out that perhaps have not been recorded before?

Yes. There haven't really been any detailed studies of the archaeology or history of the island in the past and the, even the pre-Clearance settlements which were lived in right up to the beginning of the nineteenth century, are of interest because they're reasonably intact; there was never any crafting or farming superimposed on them at a later date. So the examples left behind on Rum, although still ruinous, they're of very great interest

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The Isle of Rum: A Short History (1 of 5)

INVERNESS: Small Isles

1980s

The Clearances; Rhum; audio

Inverness Museum and Art Gallery

Bill Sinclair Audio: History of Rum

John Love is perhaps best known for his efforts in achieving the return of the sea eagle to Scotland, on the Island of Rum, in 1975. He has also published various books and articles on the history and natural history of the Hebrides, including Rum and St Kilda. In this audio extract from 1983, Bill Sinclair talks to John about his recently-published book, 'The Isle of Rum: A Short History'.<br />
<br />
There hasn't been a lot published on Rum, really. Various authors have referred to the island or included chapters on the island when they're discussing the Hebrides, but the most thorough book, perhaps to date, has been one about six Inner Hebrides dealing with the four small isles together with Coll & Tiree, but it's a bit fragmentary because it covers such a wide scope and doesn't delve into the Rum side of it too deeply.<br />
<br />
Interviewer: How long have you been on the island yourself now?<br />
<br />
Since 1975 - that's what, eight years now, so you begin to accumulate quite a bit of information on the side, really.<br />
<br />
Interviewer: How do you start off describing different things?<br />
<br />
Well, I think it's useful to go into the documentary sources and just find out what past travellers have said about the island, and copy down accounts that they give of various aspects of its history and the like, and begin to assemble the full story on that. But because my job takes me out on the hills quite a lot, it's quite convenient for me to go round the various ruins and old settlements and shielings, and jot them down on a map and make odd notes on them.<br />
<br />
Interviewer: That must be most interesting. Have you found things out that perhaps have not been recorded before?<br />
<br />
Yes. There haven't really been any detailed studies of the archaeology or history of the island in the past and the, even the pre-Clearance settlements which were lived in right up to the beginning of the nineteenth century, are of interest because they're reasonably intact; there was never any crafting or farming superimposed on them at a later date. So the examples left behind on Rum, although still ruinous, they're of very great interest